Monday, July 19, 2010

Sausage And Coach's Oats Stuffed Peppers

If Maggie Piper picked a peck of purple peppers, how many purple peppers did Maggie Piper eat?

If you answered anything other than zero, you'd be wrong. It turns out that purple peppers turn green when they're baked. At least mine did! Aren't they just gorgeous raw though? I'll make sure to use the next batch that comes off the garden in a more esthetic, uncooked manner, showcasing the beautiful color of this unique sweet pepper.

OK, now here's the skinny behind the stuffing recipe. I've stuffed peppers with every grain imaginable, including quinoa, barley, rice and couscous. I wanted to try a more traditional stuffing with the flavors of Thanksgiving this time around and I also wanted to try using oats. Coach's Oats to be specific. I can't vouch for how this stuffing would turn out if you used regular old-fashioned oats. And if you decided to use steel cut oats, you'd want to cook them in the chicken broth separately from the rest of the recipe as they take much longer to cook. Then just add them in at the end.

I have to tell you that I loved the oats in this recipe and cannot wait to try other savory recipes incorporating them.

Slice tops off of peppers and remove seeds. Stand upright in casserole dish and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes while preparing the stuffing.

In large skillet brown the turkey sausage. Remove from skillet to paper towels to drain.

In same skillet add the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 6-7 minutes or until onions become translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms have given up their moisture, another 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, thyme and sage and saute for another minute or two. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in oats and Craisins and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and add the turkey sausage back into pan. Stir well to combine all ingredients.

Stuff partially baked peppers with stuffing mixture and return to oven for another 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with green onions if desired.

I love the colors of your peppers. I've never seen them...ever. I didn't even know they existed...but I will try to find some seeds for my garden next year. I love peppers, but they don't really love me! lol

I'm such a fan of stuffed peppers and this recipe looks like a real beaut. My husband, a pepper phobic, is out of town, and in girls-night-out fashion I have cooked them every single night since he left. Whoopie! I have all the ingredients and will make this neat recipe tomorrow night.

Gosh, that pepper was a gorgeous purple! How interesting it went green when cooked.I'm not familiar with Coach oats, but I'll go to their site and investigate. Really an interesting ingredient for your stuffed peppers. In fact, all the flavors sound great.

We have purple peppers from our garden and our CSA, and they turn green when cooked, too! It's such a shame because I love the purple color! I like the recipe for the stuffed peppers, though... sounds fantastic!

I love that you used oats to stuff these peppers - how creative! I'll definitely need to try that some time!

Have you thought about submitting the recipe for the $1000 grand prize in TasteSpotting's Johnsonville Sausage recipe contest? You can find out more details here - http://www.tastespotting.com/features/sausagespotting-win-1500-dollars-johnsonville-recipe-contest

About Me

This is my documentation of my life after turning 50. Lots of recipes, some healthy, some not so much... tossed up with a hefty dose of sarcasm and motherly love.
My email address: maggielauerrdh(at)yahoo.com